Holder for paper plates and the like



Aug. 4, 1953 o. J. OLSON 2,647,673

HOLDER FOR PAPER PLATES AND THE LIKE Filed May 5, 1950 FIGJ INVENTOR DOUGLAS 3. OLSON ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 4, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,647,678 HOLDER FOR PAPER PLATES AND THE LIKE Douglas J. Olson, Minneapolis, Minn. Application May 5, 1950, Serial No. 160,129 1 Claim. (Cl. 229-15) This invention relates to a gripping attachment for paper plates and the like.

It is a problem at picnics, drive-ins, and buffet suppers for the people who are eating, to hold their plates on their laps without the danger of the plate tilting and slipping and dropping to the ground or floor.

It is an object of my invention to provide an attachment device particularly adapted for use on paper and disposable plates, but also adapted for use on other conventional types of plates which permits the plate to be tightly gripped between the knees of the user in order to prevent the same from tipping and falling to the ground.

More specifically, it is an object to provide an attachment for eating dishes consisting in a depending, gripping element connected substantially at the center of the eating dish and adapted to be tightly gripped between the knees.

Still more specifically, it is an object to provide a depending flange element to be connected to the bottom of a plate such as a paper plate and said connection permitting swinging movement substantially along the diameter of said plate to facilitate compact packaging for ship ment.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing my improved device as attached to a paper plate with the gripping flange in operative position in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section view of the structure shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the plate illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 as it is actually used.

A conventional paper plate designated by the numeral 5 is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. My plate gripping element is ati tached to the bottom of the plate and in the form shown, consists in a circular disc 6 scored along a diameter thereof and having half of the disc 6 securely connected to the bottom of the plate 5 to permit the unattached part designated by the numeral 6a to be folded downwardly into the full line position of Figs. 1 and 2, to form a depending gripping flange which may be tightly gripped between the knees of the user.

The portion of the disc 6 which is secured to the bottom of the plate 5 serves the dual function of reinforcing the bottom of the usually flimsy paper plate and materially increases the heat resistivity thereof. The gripping flange 6a when the disc 6 is attached to the bottom of the plate, is positioned adjacent said plate bottom and does not materially increase the space required for packaging the plates in nested relation, as is conventionally the practice. The score line permits this flange to be easily folded down into operative position.

After the food has been served onto the plate and the user has gotten situated in a sitting position, the flange 6a is swung downwardly into the full line positions of Figs. 1 and 2 and can be tightly gripped between the knees of the user to securely hold the plate and to free both hands for cutting the food or to permit a cup to be held while eating.

It will be seen that I have provided an extremely simple, yet highly efficient attachment device for plates, particularly for use with paper plates, which permits the plate to be tightly gripped during the eating operation when the user is in sitting position, as in drive-in restaurants, picnics and at bullet suppers.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

A disposable, paper-like plate comprising a bottom having a generally flat under-surface and raised sides surrounding said bottom, a normally flat, substantially imperforate, reinforcing and gripping member conforming generally to the size and shape of the flat under-surface of the bottom and disposed in underlying relation thereto, said member being divided into two substantially equal parts by a straight crease line extending from edge to edge of said member and constituting a hinge connection between the parts, adhesive between one of said parts and the adjacent overlying surface of said plate bottom to form an attachment therebetween, and the other of said parts of the member being free of the adjacent overlying surface of said plate bottom to form an attachment therebetween, and the other of said parts of the member being free of the adjacent overlying surface so as to permit the latter free part to be swung downwardly from a normal bottom-engaging reinforcing position into depending position to permit the same to be tightly gripped between the knees of a user, with the plate bottom being supported on the knees of the user.

DOUGLAS J. OLSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

